Thanks a lot for visiting my Just Giving page. This is the little story of me and how I came to the conclusion that challenging myself this way was the right thing to do.

I grew up in a family of 10 children in the Ivory Coast where I’m from. I have 6 sisters and 3 brothers. Very early on I became aware of the chance I had of having parents who put a great emphasis on the education of all their children.  Many girls in other parts of the country were not so lucky. How many times have I heard stories of friends of friends taken out of school to be married off because girls are meant for marriage and they shouldn’t study “too much”? Far too many times. I always felt that I should do something to help and to speak up on behalf of those who couldn’t.

I came across Plan International 3 years ago while looking for a job in charity. I visited their website and soon became obsessed with it. The work they do for girls all over the world is exactly the kind I wanted to get involved in. A small monthly donation could not do at the time because I was so broke I couldn’t afford a tin of baked beans for myself. So the plan was put aside for better days to come round. I didn’t give up. The cause for girls deserved to be fought; it was just a matter of when I’d be ready to do it.

I am glad to say that I’m acquainted with better days now so I decided to go back to my fight for a fairer world for girls. Choosing to climb the Kilimanjaro was one of my New Year’s resolutions. I was inspired by someone fighting his own battles. I thought I’d join my beliefs and efforts and give the whole of me for others who didn’t get the chance I had.

My minimum sponsorship target is £3900 which among many other things could help build a school toilet with a changing room and hand-washing facilities, helping ensure that girls in Uganda have their own facilities. £100 could provide training and support for a journalist in Mali for a year on child rights and female genital mutilation (FGM). £15 could train three community workers in Bangladesh to register births, allowing girls to prove their age and claim their rights.

This is the kind of work I want to sponsor and I hope to get all your support in this journey of mountain climbing and fighting for basic rights for girls.

I will be updating my page regularly to share my progress over the months and I hope to reach the maximum target of £10,000 by the end of the year.